The Review

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Friday, December 31, 2010

The year 2010 saw two significant records at every level of government in the United States: record-breaking numbers of socialist and otherwise destructive Democrat bills and programs, and in response, record-breaking victories for Republicans on Election Day.

2011 will be a year of challenges, as newly elected Republican majorities and governors try to find money for the shovels, excavators and front end loaders that will be required to dig their states and country out of the hole that their predecessors left for them.

With the crushing burden of the present budgetary disaster confronting these legislators and executives, it will be difficult for them to find energy and time to focus on the future, but it’s imperative. Here are just a few basic guidelines that every Republican office-holder must remember for the next two years and beyond, if we hope to build on the 2010 election victories, rather than having to look back on this time as no more than a momentary blip in an otherwise unbroken descent into Stalinism.

Big Program Note: Sunday evening, 2 January, 6 to 8 central, I have the privilege of sitting in for Bruce Dumont on his award winning "Beyond the Beltway" (WLS-AM, lots of stations nationally and POTUS on Sirius XM).

We will welcome GOP analyst Chris Dudley and liberal activist Bob Creamer, two longtime buddies in the slog. Also on -- for hour two -- Stanley Kurtz, author of Radical-in-Chief, Barack Obama and the Untold Story of American Socialism (Threshold/Simon and Schuster).

Radical-in-Chief is a great read that builds the documentary case that our president is in fact a socialist. Dr. Kurtz provides 75 pages of footnotes and references to primary documents in more than 60 libraries around the country, and... Bob Creamer, because of his leadership at the Midwest Academy, is a co-star in Stanley's narrative !

Stanley and Bob don't go on a lot of programs together, so don't miss this one. I promise an insightful chat about 2010, 2011 and the presidency of Barack Obama. Join us...

While most emphasis has been on Speaker Madigan's pension reform law setting up for later retirements and less cushy pensions for new firemen and law enforcement hires, little attention has been focused on the shift in pension fund pay=in burden that local city councils argue will now suddenly fall on their already cash-strapped budgets. Chicago's Mayor Daley blasted the reform bill Quinn signed on Thursday, predicting it will cause Chicago to hike its property taxes up to 60%.

On the same day Governor Quinn signed Illinois new two-tiered pension system SB 3538 into law, House Speaker Mike Madigan sent out a letter to pension trustees statewide, asking them to report any concerns they may have about how their local pensions are being handled. He writes:

Forgive us if we're just a little cynical about the timing and the content of this letter being sent this week to police and firefighter pension trustees. Why, to read it, it sounds like Madigan had never head of such a thing as "spiking pensions" before they were exposed in recent media stories.

Can you imagine being almost 100 years old, deceased, and still hitting the list of the top 10 most influential politicians on 21st century tech addicts' Twitter? Sure enough, Ronald Reagan remains very influential worldwide, along with Republican politicians Palin, "W," McCain and Brown.

Klout.com reports 2010's top 10 most influential politicians on Twitter:

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. He proposed meddling mileage taxes, mused about a system to track drivers’ routes, lobbied for high-speed rail boondoggles and promoted a “livability initiative” to limit suburban growth and force dwellers into public transportation. Then America’s driving czar floated a plan earlier this fall to disable cell phones through some kind of centralized government mechanism. LaHood backed off that creepy crusade, but he is still intent on waging war against drivers who choose to use cell phones, entertainment systems and GPS devices on the road. Just last week, the unstoppable control freak proposed a new rule banning truck and bus drivers from any use of cell phones while driving — including emergency calls on hands-free devices. His anti-car agenda is stuck in overdrive.

Don't you love it when folks beyond Illinois borders figure out and then confirm what we've known for years?

The question of the day: Do we embark upon a new decade tonight at midnight, or will it just be the second year of the 2010 decade? Maybe at the New Year's Eve party tonight, this will come up for discussion, so we want you to be ready.

We're hearing some say 2009 was the last year of the 2000 decade and 2010 was the first year of the 2010s. Others are saying 2010 was the last year of the 2000 decade and 2011 launches the second decade of the 2000s. Here's what Wikipedia says about it:

The 2010s, pronounced "twenty-tens","two thousand (and) tens", or simply "the tens", is the current decade, which began on January 1, 2010 and will end on December 31, 2019. It is the first decade to completely take place within the 3rd millennium as the previous decade (2000-2009) took place across two different millennia.

Thursday, December 30, 2010

If you are looking for a good movie this week that is not a sequel to some older movie, I was delighted to see Colin Firth in "The King's Speech" and I think many IR readers would also find the movie a treat.

First, you have to find it because it only played on 87 screens in the whole country last week. It is worth the hunt. The story is about the last King of England, George VI, who was the father of the current Queen Elizabeth II and who died in 1952. Set aside the pagentry of Buckingham Palace and this story boils down to a good and decent father, but a frightened man who unexpectedly inherited a big job he did not want to have and was not trained for.

Because public speaking was crucial for the job, his wife had to help him learn how to overcome his fear of a serious and embarrassing speech impediment. So it winds up as an inspirational story of his personal courage that anyone can relate to if they are Anglophiles or not. The big budget sequels will all still be around next week, so don't miss a chance to see a rare high-quality story that will raise your holiday spirits.

The prolife political action committee Susan B. Anthony List has been conducting interviews with candidates for the Republican National Committee chairman and made them available to the public for viewing.

Backgrounds and interviews with Michigan's Saul Anuzi, Iowa's Gentry Collins, Wisconsins' Reice Priebus, current RNC chairman Michael Steele, and Missouri's Ann Wagner were conducted previous to next Monday's RNC Chairman debate, which will be available to view online from noon to 1:30 PM CST at www.RNCdebate.org

Take a few minutes and listen to these short interviews on current social issues that would influence his or her leadership if elected the national party chairman. Which do you think would be the choice leader for RNC social conservatives?

Okay, we've gathered in ideas for the 5 most dangerous Illinois liberals in 2010 and will announce the "winners" January 1, 2011. Submissions closed at noon today.

Now we need your nominations for the 5 most effective Illinois conservatives in 2010. Who in Illinois made a difference with his or her conservative efforts? Who presented conservative views in a positive way? Who made you proud to be an Illinois conservative in 2010?

We'll take nominations in the comment section below through noon December 31, 2010.

A request was sent today to GOP county chairmen that they appoint Bourbannais businessman David McAloon to fill the House seat vacated by soon-to-be State Senator Sue Rezin:

Dear Chairmen,

We, the conservative groups from the 75th district, would like to see David McAloon appointed as the State Representative vacated by Sue Rezin. David is a long time conservative Republican who has worked to promote Republican conservative candidates starting with President Reagan. He also worked in Senator Fitzgerald’s campaign.

Throughout the years, David has worked with pro-life, pro-second amendment, and other organizations that promote conservative principles. In addition, he has worked with various Tea Party groups in the district, state and around the country. He has helped conservative candidates run for office and he has run for office himself.

David has an exceptional business background and as a former small business owner who is very aware of the anti-business policies in the state. He has been warning for years of the financial problems in this state and how we need to cut our expenses, taxes and create a business friendly environment in this state, to pull our Illinois out of bankruptcy.

Hockey is a game. Chess is a game. Placing a $50 bet at the blackjack table in a casino is not a game. It is unadulterated gambling even though casinos insist that they're part of a gaming industry. But mislabeling is not the industry's only offense. In fact, it's insignificant compared to the damage the industry inflicts on the communities it invades. The industry feeds on the vulnerable, not unlike the narcotic pusher at high-school playgrounds. It promises nirvana but delivers despair. You've seen the industry's commercials on television and on billboards in town. There is no truth-in-packaging here.

What is particularly distressful about the gambling industry is that it has captured local and state governments by agreeing to share its gambling spoils. These governments close their collective eyes to the harm the industry commits and see only gambling-derived tax dollars flowing into their revenue coffers. Some state and local governments even vie for the right to inflict on their constituents the psychological, social, and economic pain generated by commercial gambling.

To be sure, a $50 blackjack bet may be no more than a plaything to a dentist on vacation who decides to spend an evening at the casino. After all, gambling is not an activity that defines his life or even his leisure hours. It's a once-in-a-while venture, a trip to the other side, so to speak. Moreover, his $50 or even his $150 loss at the tables represents no more than an expensive meal at a fine restaurant. And it is certainly small potatoes compared to his $240,000 annual income. In truth, there are a lot of folks - men and women - like him at the casinos; getting a rush at the roulette wheel, the blackjack table, and the slot machine. Few expect to go home winners and few do. So what's the beef?

Being of the same persuasion as Charles Krauthamnmer, I am concerned that moderate Republicans have not yet learned their lesson and are still questioning the results of the November elections. Did desire for partisanship really sweep many Republicans into office in November or was it the rejection by the American people of the Obama administration's liberal policies?

Congressman Danny Davis of IL's 7th CD created quite a stir over the past few days when he publicly scolded former President Bill Clinton for planning to come into Chicago to raise funds for his old buddy Rahm Emanuel's mayoral bid. Davis, who's also one of the 13 candidates bidding to succeed the retiring Mayor Daley, publicly reprimanded Clinton and urged him to "just stay neutral," saying anything different would affect Clinton's popularity in Chicago's black community.

But during a phone interview from home on WGN Radio Wednesday morning on his mayoral bid, Davis went about his normal routine while thousands of Chicago voters listened. It'll be tough for voters to take Davis seriously from here forward. His mayoral chances may have gone down the drain in one thoughtless flush. But frankly, this is one of the least embarrassing things Davis has done while serving in the U.S. Congress.

Here's what happened Wednesday, and no one's laughing harder than Rahm Emanuel and the 11 others in the mayoral bid pack:

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Illinois conservative voices seem to be clamoring for the passage of SB600 to fix the way the ILGOP state central committee members are elected. A part of the goal is to perhaps remove the power from the hands of the entrenched elitist jerks who currently pull the Illinois Republican Party strings. The goals may be noble and who can argue against knocking the bums in charge of the excuse for a state Republican Party that is the ILGOP off their perches?

Why then should SB600 pose a dilemma for an Illinois conservative? Shouldn't we adopt an "ends justify the means" mindset and get this important task accomplished? Surely there can be no principled argument that could outweigh the righteous substance of this bill. Adam Andrzejewski, Cedra Crenshaw, and other Illinois conservative stars support the bill, so why not fall in line?

A friend, fellow TEA Party organizer, and tireless activist recently asked, in response to my opposition to SB600, if I didn't think the conservatives in Illinois could take control of the party if the bill were enacted... as well as what I would do. I had to think about the second question, but immediately responded "no" to the first.

Today is a wonderful day. As I write this, we are swimming in a balmy 32 degrees F. Ah, a heat wave. Over the last month, I've wondered from time to time if there would be any benefit in becoming a reverse illegal alien and jumping the fence into Mexico just to be able to feel the end of my nose again.

We've been stuck here in the Chicago areas at or below freezing for most of the month of December. The East Coast is trying to dig out of a blizzard. A football game was postponed by the NFL, causing Gov. Ed Rendell to call us a nation of "wussies" (a rare time I agree with a Democrat). That brings up a thought - what is a "normal" temperature?

The global warming fanatics have been screaming for the past decade or so about how the world is going to come to a fiery end. The question is, does that match reality?

The campaign of Gery Chico, former Chicago Public School Board president, pointed out to us Chico's desire to use the Illinois General Assembly-granted power as Chicago mayor to open the way for more families to have educational choice. Chico, who's been endorsed by former CPS Superintendent Paul Vallas, says he'd like to allow 50,000 vouchers for kids in the city's worst schools and establish more charter and magnet schools.

Chico, who's badly mistaken on social issues, remains as the only strong contender in the mayoral race that focuses on revamping the struggling Chicago school system. The other school choice promoting candidate Rev. James Meeks, dropped from the race last week.

If you think something like what this small business has endured could never happen to you, you're sadly mistaken. It can happen to anyone -- in business or not -- because lawsuit abuse is rampant and leaving in its wake innocent people and ruined lives and businesses.

This Sun-Times photo description explains the photo, but more importantly defies all common sense, makes us shake our heads in disbelief and should scare us as to what some in Gary, Indiana are actually teaching their children under the guise of religion:

Abuse of the internet and smart phones in transmitting sexually explicit or indecent images will be illegal in Illinois January 1, especially when the cyber activity involves minors:

In Illinois, minors who are involved in “sexting” or distributing indecent photos of other minors electronically may be taken into custody by law enforcement officers and are subject to adjudication or supervision, instead of being charged with child pornography, which is a harsher offense. A minor found to be in need of supervision may also be ordered to receive counseling or perform community service. Illinois HB 4583

Illinois lawmakers also made it a crime to sexually exploit a child using a computer or Internet-based software. The new law is aimed at catching sex offenders who use Internet chat rooms or online video cameras to engage in sex acts with a child. Illinois HB 5321

Congressman-elect Joe Walsh of Illinois' 8th CD is already making waves in DC and the fact that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee named Walsh this week's "Hypocrite of the Week" emphasizes how pathetically out of touch with the rest of the world the DCCC is.

Walsh was quoted as saying the federal government "takes care of too many in the middle class" like that's a bad thing. The Democrats just don't get it.

The point is that the American way of life is built on self-reliance, individualism and voluntary charity rather than imposed equality, government dependence and mandatory contributions. The more independent we are of government regulations, controls and handouts, the healthier we are as an individual, family, neighborhood, community, state and nation. Joe Walsh was saying in that one comment is that he's for limited government, individual rights, free markets and traditional values - the American way of life that made our nation great and which, sadly, is fading into oblivion. But that's not how the Democrats took it.

Last week’s release of 2010 Census data revealed that U.S. population grew by more than 27 million in just the last decade, three quarters of it driven by excessive levels of legal and illegal immigration.

A longtime liberal goal has been to eliminate the death penalty under the “Cruel and Unusual Punishment” clause of the Eighth Amendment of our Constitution. In the 1970s, the U.S. Supreme Court stopped executions of criminals and establish more difficult procedural requirements before imposing this punishment. More recently, the Court flatly prohibited use of the death penalty for any crime committed by someone under age 18 or deemed to have a low IQ.

Supporters of the death penalty point out that it must be constitutional because it was widely accepted and used when the Constitution was adopted, and implemented ever since both by states and by the U.S. government. The Bible and the Constitution expressly support the death penalty. It brings closure for society, and particularly for family members of victims after a highly disturbing crime. Capital punishment prevents a lingering sense that the criminal “got away with something,” and it prevents him from killing again inside or outside of prison. Criminals often plead guilty to avoid facing the death penalty, and that facilitates justice.

CHICAGO—"Gov. Patrick Quinn’s (D) proposed $15 billion bond issue would not only be an additional financial burden on Illinois taxpayers for decades, but would continue waste taxpayer dollars on lavish, gold-plated pensions for retired government workers who are already getting rich on backs of hard working taxpayers", charged Jim Tobin, President of National Taxpayers United of Illinois (NTUI).

“The proposed $15 billion dollar bond issue would be one more burden that Illinois taxpayers can’t afford,” said Tobin. “Not only would taxpayers have to finance the $15 billion principle, but also the interest that would have to be paid on the bonds, all without a solution to the problems. How can a 20 or 30 year repayment plan that provides a one year stop gap to the growing problem provide anything but big trouble for years to come? When the current top 100 Illinois state pensions average $221,000, continuing on the same foolhardy path without true pension reform will bring the state of Illinois to its knees.”

Courts have yet to decide if the agency's proposed controls on carbon emissions are even legal.By FRED UPTON AND TIM PHILLIPS, Americans for Prosperity

On Jan. 2, the Environmental Protection Agency will officially begin regulating the emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. This move represents an unconstitutional power grab that will kill millions of jobs—unless Congress steps in.

This mess began in April 2007, with the Supreme Court's decision in Massachusetts v. EPA. The court instructed the agency to determine whether greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide pose (or potentially pose) a danger to human health and safety under the Clean Air Act. In December 2009 the agency determined they were a danger—and gave itself the green light to issue rules cutting CO2 emissions on a wide range of enterprises from coal plants to paper mills to foundries.

“Today’s action by the Consumer Product Safety Commission to ban these deadly cribs will provide greater protection for infants and toddlers,” Attorney General Lisa Madigan said. “Too many children have been injured and killed by drop-side cribs. Manufacturers and industry trade groups must work to remove these cribs from the market immediately. My office will continue informing consumers of the dangers of drop-side cribs and working with retailers and second-hand sellers to remove the products from their shelves.”

The Attorney General is alerting caregivers of this danger to prevent infant deaths. Babies may suffocate or be strangled if they roll against a crib bumper, press their face against the bumper, wedge their head between the pad and the mattress or crib side, or if their neck gets wrapped by the tie that secures the bumper to the crib.

“We know that children have tragically died in their cribs because of these bumper pads,” Attorney General Madigan said. “Parents and caregivers should remove these bumpers to prevent tragedy.”

Guess where the richest in America live? Hollywood, West Palm Beach? Maybe those towns do well, but when comparing states, California ranks #6 and Florida's not in the top 15. So where's Illinois on the list?

According to the latest census figures, Illinois is home to 208,385 households that make over $200,000 per year, hitting the top 10 richest state list at the number 10 spot. That ranks Illinois, with 4.4% of the population at that level, above Minnesota (15), Texas (14), Washington state (13), Colorado (12) and New Hampshire (11).

And where is the highest density of the nation's richest? No where else than our nation's capitol, the District of Columbia where 8.4% exceed $200,000 annually. All those poor, starving federal workers ...

Do increased government regulations, fee hikes and government handouts to special interests sound familiar?

Say you are a legislator in the General Assembly. An out-of-state power generating interest approaches you and asks you to approve a special law that will force consumers in Illinois to buy the power generated by the company’s extravagantly expensive plants, plants which utilize unproven and potentially risky technology for negligible environmental benefits. Plants that, some experts believe, rely on junk science and would not otherwise exist without government subsidies.

In fact, the out-of-state power interest readily admits that the cost of generating power from its plants is substantially higher than other forms of power generating technology. Of course, they argue, they suggest this problem can be alleviated by heavily regulating the price of energy and heaping the new fees on the state’s businesses and industries. These new costs, of course, will be passed on directly to the consumer in the form of higher electricity bills. The deal, they demand, will have to last for 30 years.

In return, the power interest tells you, the state will gain a few hundred long-term jobs downstate and the ability to brag to national media that it had funded an “alternative energy-generating” power plant. However, they can make no promises that as rates go up they can guarantee any additional job growth over the long term.

The conservative group Americans for Prosperity, one of several organizations that spent heavily to influence the 2010 elections, is now gearing up to exert some grassroots pressure on the new Congress next year.

The "Parent Trigger" is a movement that's just won a school choice victory in California, giving parents the right to takeover neighborhood failing schools rather than allow their children's future be lost to mismanaged and misdirected administrators and teachers.

While Illinois Democrats are doing their best to give the illusion through school reform hearings that education reform is on its way, a legislative effort similar to California's Parent Trigger should be digestible for even the most liberal politician in Springfield ...

Anyone who's heard the late night tv ads promoting filing for bankruptcy over applying for consolidation loans has heard that those consolidation loan scams don't work 75 percent of the time. Maybe Governor Quinn and the Democrats don't watch late night tv and see those ads. That's why they're playing with the idea of borrowing another $15 billion with hopes of getting Illinois' immediate unpaid bills taken care of -- except that instead of paying for those bills immediately as the revenue comes in, as most states strive to do, we'll be paying those bills off for the next 30 years.

Does anyone know if we've yet paid off the $10 billion borrowed when Blagoejvich was governor? Who can forget State Senator Chris Lauzen warning that Illinois was committing to a high interest loan to buy groceries? Those groceries long gone, and we're still paying for them. But apparently, it's either borrow $15 billion or hike state income taxes "temporarily" to "raise revenue" and "fill in the gap."

No self-respecting, financially-wise family or business would borrow time and time again to pay for a spending addiction or a family member's shopping compulsion. Everyone in a business suffers when the owners are desperate and choose short-sighted spending or poorly-advised investments. Belt -tightening, layoffs, contract concessions, postponed raises and bonuses are all a part of making it through rough times, anticipating better days ahead.

Why isn't that the way the state runs its budget? Why should taxpayers be held responsible for elected officials' fiscal irresponsibility?

Monday, December 27, 2010

Granted, the 12/19/10 edition of the Teri O’Brien Show was unusual. We had not one, but two, special guests, and we usually have none. Still, I was unprepared for the firestorm precipitated by the routine posting I hoped would entice listeners to check out the show, a firestorm that shows no end of dying down. It all started with the mention of the phrase “natural born citizen” and whether it can be accurately applied to Barack Obama.

I invited Floyd Brown, President of the Western Journalism Center, on the show to address the question “Why didn’t Justices Kagan and Sotomayor recuse themselves from the recent decision to deny certiorari in the case Kerchner v. Obama (the natural born citizen case)?” After all, one of the named parties appointed them, which appears to me to be an obvious conflict of interest. In my opinion, their failure to sit out on this one is the most unreported significant story of 2010. A question for two of the passionate participants in the debate here on IR: Ohioborn1, Bob Ross--would you like to take a crack at answering that one? Bueller? Bueller?

According to a knowlegeable source at National Review, Illinois GOP Chair Pat Brady is now favoring Wisconsin GOP Chairman Reince Prebius for NRC Chairman to replace Michael Steele. The report says that Brady and California GOP National Committeeman Shawn Steel were both supporting Michael Steele (no relation) but now lean to Prebius. Illinois has three votes among the 168 RNC members including Brady, national committeeman Rich Williamson, and committeewoman Demetra Demonte.

Christmas Day the New York Times featured a profile on the 8th CD's surprise Republican winner Joe Walsh. Walsh, whose campaign was shunned by the Republican establishment and buoyed by local Tea Party activists, is grabbing media attention as he sets out to rock the establishment in DC as he did in ousting incumbent Melissa Bean sans Illinois GOP big boys' help.

Walsh will sleep in his DC office, reject congressional health care plans and pensions. He also is pushing for major changes in Obamacare, Medicare and Social Security as well as defunding the U.S. Department of Education and the Dept. of Energy.

When Rev. James Meeks departed from the list of 2011 Chicago mayoral candidates, Rahm Emanuel left behind a key competitor on education reform. The only notable one left is former Chicago School Board member Gery Chico, who remains in the 13-candidate pack, doggedly hunting down votes for the February primary. Chico's got the support of his education reform ally, former Chicago School Superintendent Paul Vallas. While Vallas was at the CPS helm, the Illinois General Assembly presented the Chicago mayor with unprecedented education local control. Whoever replaces Daley will need to map out a plan to revamp the city's schools, which continue to fail their students.

Polling must be indicating Chico's drawing support away from Emanuel, because Emanuel's campaign just released an education reform plan that incorporates two key elements: 1. a parent-student-school contract promising a limit on television and internet access after school while reading a specific length of time together and 2. a new benefit for teachers, offering they reach their highest earning potential in eight years, with the supposition that will promote more committed, engaged teachers.

Emanuel "gets it" concerning school reform, his new campaign ad touts. But no where is school choice, a larger number of charter schools, school vouchers or any other non-union-member-benefitting proposal mentioned. The campaign piece follows. Tell us your thoughts ...

We were sad to learn that Eunice died yesterday after a year and a half long battle with lung cancer.

Eunice was active in conservative Republican politics for years in northern Cook County, and then moved west to Polo, IL, where she and her husband hosted numerous political events and actively supported local candidates' campaigns at their home. Most often, we'd hear of her activities while on Greg Blankenship's Friday conference calls when "leave us alone" conservative activists report on how they're moving their agenda in their part of the state. Most recently, a weakened Eunice listened rather than actively share.

Then we last heard from Eunice just before Thanksgiving, when she wrote:

The housing market continues to weigh heavily on the economy struggling to recover, and there are two diametrically opposed responses being discussed: a federal government-imposed foreclosure moratorium or a government hands-off response that could cause housing to drop even further before recovery.

NationalJournal.com sets up the discussion: Hands on or hands off, which approach is better to correct America's housing market?

Standing before you on this sunny day, I am proud to announce my candidacy for president in the next election.

Of either France, or Mexico, or Italy. Or perhaps for prime minister, of Great Britain, Holland, Spain, Ireland, or Japan (though that last one’s a long shot, since I know I won’t look good on camera after a fourteen-hour plane ride… seven hours is really my limit).

I realize it’s hard to imagine being qualified for a high office in many different countries simultaneously, but the important thing is that I’m a citizen of the world; I really care about people. I have a toehold in each of these countries, because I care about their people, and if elected as their next president, prime minister, king, caesar, or dictator (in the end, really, what’s the difference?), I will do my best to run their country well. And they need me, after all, because they don’t have enough people to run who actually live in their respective countries.

The Casino Gambling Web writes Illinois casino lobbyists are hopeful two partial smoking bans will move to the Governor's desk as soon as next week, when the Illinois General Assembly returns to finish up 2010 business before the new members are sworn in January 11, 2011:

Lawmakers are considering the bill, which would lift the ban as long as neighboring states had no smoking bans in their casinos. The ban would go back into effect if the other states' casinos had the same restrictions. In short, that would buy Illinois casinos some time to bring smokers back into their facilities before other states caught up with the non-smoking revolution taking place across the US.

Another bill being discussed would allow smokers to light up in ventilated rooms in the casino. This would give smokers their own casino floors in places away from the non-smokers. This bill is aimed at damage control for an industry that reached its lowest revenue point in ten years during 2010.

The proposed smoking liberty will accompany another attempt to add several new casino licenses, including one in Chicago. Those now in existence aren't happy about the expansion, especially since the troubled economy (and the smoking ban, some lobbyists insist) has caused casino profits to dramatically dip.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

If you recall how Sarah Palin was ridiculed in the press for claiming that Obamacare included "death panels" to evaluate who should live and who should not; and if you recall how Obamacare supporters claimed there were no such things as death panels even as they drafted an amendment to remove the panels that supposedly did not exist; then you might not be surprised to see now, ten months after Obamacare passed, the Death Panels are back, this time by regulation rather then law. A newspaper that is not famous for bashing Obama as too liberal, The New York Times, offers for some details.

On my last post, the conversation of helmet laws popped up during the comments. As someone that has spent most of his adult life dealing with traffic safety, I'm for helmet laws. One of my fellow contributors took great exception to that, questioning my motives. However, it brings up the question - how libertarian should conservatives be? I'm not going to take a position on this, but just toss up the question.

The basic question is how much liberty should we require from our government? In at least some circles we talk about the idea of liberty. As conservatives, we believe in a certain level of liberty. We want to be free of government telling us what to do, or do we?

One noticeable common factor among those states gaining population and thus, adding congressional districts, is they are "right to work" states, RealClearMarkets.com points out. Illinois, a state dominated by public employee, teacher, construction and transportation unions, is one of those states losing a congressional seat.

And while workers are figuring out where the job opportunities are, the Obama Administration, who was elected in 2008 with the forceful efforts of unions such as SEIU, AFSCME, AFT and Teamsters, is focused on doing all it can to strengthen weakening union grips. This past week, an official not approved by the Senate issued an employer mandate that will push unions onto non-union work places, despite the embarrassing failure of the Obama Administration to implement the union-demanded "Card Check" program.

On today’s edition of the Teri O’Brien Show we’ll be discussing the unintentionally hilarious Lame Stream Media slobberfest over Barack Hussein Obama’s alleged “dramatic comeback,” all his tremendous “accomplishments,” including spending more money that we don’t have in less time than any other president in history, and the “productive” lame duck Congress. It’s easy to be “productive” when you simply open the drawer where you have stashed the pre-written 2000+ page bills that are the stuff of socialist wet dreams, dust them off and ram them through a one-party Congress, isn’t it?

In addition, we’ll be discussing the firestorm initiated by Floyd Brown’s appearance on the show last week (more about that here, and our discussion of the question “What is a ‘natural born citizen,’ as the term is used in Article II of the Constitution, and is Barack Obama eligible to be president?” I’ll explain the desperation of those who break out in flop sweat at the prospect of even discussing the issue, including most notable our Sham WOW (Walks on Water) current occupant of the Oval Office. As you might suspect, the Critiquelator has a few words to say on this topic as well.

It has been ten years since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down any federal law for unconstitutionally intruding into State authority. In 1995, the Supreme Court struck down a federal law prohibiting guns near schools. Then, in the year 2000, the Court struck down one provision of the Violence Against Women Act because that issue is traditionally handled by State law, not federal law.

The Tenth Amendment expressly reserves to the states and the people powers not granted to the federal government. How far Congress can go in intruding into local matters has been a hotly contested issue ever since. This year, lawsuits have been filed against ObamaCare because the federal government is grabbing power away from the states and individuals with respect to health insurance and medical care.